Attachment plug



Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

UNITE Janine r. r. nona nuii, or cnrcaoo, rumors.

mmcmn'r rum.- I

a l cation fled April 15, 1022. s mi a... 552,978.

To all whom it'may concern:

Be i known that I, JAMES P. 130mm,

a citizenof the United States of America,

and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook,

" and State of Illinois, have invented a new tion is shown in v the view being taken and useful Improvement in Attachment Plugs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electrical attachment-plugs. Q The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved form of electrical attachment plug of simple construction, having its parts so' arranged that one section of the plug is free to swivel on the other without injury to the parts or danger of short circuiting' any of the connections; and to provide an improved formand arrangement of the separab e parts to permit of their connection by a straight line movement of one .part toward the other. I

An illustrative embodiment of this inventhe accompanying drawings, wherein 1 Fi re 1 is a vertical section of showing the' parts assembled. j Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the terminal part of the plug. 1

Fig. 3 is a centralvertical section of the socket member.

Fi 4 is a vertical section oi thesocket mem r'with the metallic ferrule removed,

view shown in Fig. 3.,

Fi 5 is a perspective view of. the .mem r shown in Fig. 4.

'Attachment plugs which are now' in gensocket I eral use consist oftwo separable parts, the

- small sockets formed'in the the plug for closing the circuit. This form 1 terminal mem'ber'of which carries a pair of contact prongs attached to the flexible conductor, and which .are ada ted to'fit into ase member of of lug. has the disadvantage that in the dar or in a place wherethe base memberof the plug is out'ef normal view, as, for in stance, underneath a table, it is diflicult to insert the two prongs into the sockets of the base member without first feeling for the,

connection. i

The present mventlon overcomes the obthe I plug at right angles to the bod jectionable feature by having the terminal part of the plugformed with one centering contact stem which 'is adapted to enter a single flaring socket inthe base member for making the connection. This form of connection also permits a swivel movement between the connected parts, so that the plug may be screwed into the lamp socket without twisting the flexible conductor.-

In the form shown, the improved attach-- ment plug comprises a socket part or body member 1, adapted to be screwed into a lamp socket, and a detachable terminal part 2, carried by a flexible conductor 3.

. The body member 1 is formed of suitable insulating material, and has secured to its intersecting the socket'5, is arectangular slot'7,arranged to ermit the insertion into the socket.5 ofa -shaped 5 ring contact clip 8.. The-clip 8 is' secure jtothe body member by having its-base part connectedto an axially disposed contact pin 9, which protrudes beyon the body to form one of the contact elements. The walls of the slot 7 chalet; with the clip 8 secure the clip against turnin in the socket 5-.

Extendin t rough the' -side 'wall of th ang esto the clip 8, is a radially disposed a resilient tongue-11, which is arranged to mem r 1, at substantially right i 'slot or opening 10, through which extends form one of the contact elements. The,-

inner end of the tongue 11 extends into the socket 5, and is normally inclined toward the mouth of the socket, as shown in Figure. l 3. The outer" end of; the tongue 11 is secured-bye. screw 12 to a. rigidv L-shaped conductor member 13, seated in aperipheral depression 14.v The member 13 protrudes beyondthe body member into contact with the ferrule 4, which is depressed on opposite sides of the conductor to form a pair of shoulders 15, which coact with the conductor member for locking the ferrule to the socket member. If desired, the ferrule may be soldered to themember 13 to secure the ferrule 4 and'socket member 1 again-st relative movement.

The terminal part 2 is also formed of insulating material, and in the form shown, comprises a base 16, and an axially arranged stem 17. Mounted on the base 16, is a-pair of terminals in the form of binding posts 18 and 19, which are enclosed by a threaded dome-shaped cap 20, centrally apertured to receive the flexible conductor 3, which is connected to the binding posts 18 and 19'. Extending axially through the stem 17 is a contact pin 21, arranged for contact with {age resilient tongue 11 of the socket memr. The second contact element of the terminal part consists of an annular block 22,,

which is seated in a recess 23, formed on the stem 17. Interposed between the block 22 and the contact head of the pin 21, is an insulator 24, which is central y apertured to receive the pin, and which is also recessed to receive the reduced end of the stem 17 The block 22 is arranged to coact with the spring clip 8, when the terminal part is inserted into the socket member. Formed in the terminal part, is a longitudinally extending hole, through which extends a rigid L-shapcd conductor 25, which bears at its inner end against the block 22, and at its outer end is connected to the binding post 19.

When it is desired to close the circuit, the stem 17 of the terminal part is inserted into the socket 5, so as to bring the contacts 21 and 22 into engagement with the tongue 11 and. clip 8 respectively. The coaction of the block 22 and clip 8 detachably secures the two separable parts of the plug in their assembled relation. The swivel connection between the separable parts of the plug permits the body member to be unscrewed from the lamp sooket'without turning the terminal part or twisting the conductor 3.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or 'omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. A11 attachment plug including a body member having an axially arranged socket extending inwardly from one end thereof and havin a radially disposed intersecting slot exten ing inwardly fromone side thereof, said slot being arranged to permit the insertion of a clip into said soc et, a contact oint mounted on the other end of said mem er, a spring clip seated in said socket and having'a radially disposed intersecting slot extending inwardly from one side there.- of, said slot being arranged to permit the insertion of a clip into said socket, a contact point mounted on the other end of said member, a U-shaped spring clip seated in said socket and connected to said contact point to form one of the contact elements, said clip and the walls of said slot coacting to secure said clip against turning, and a radially disposed yiel ing tongue extending into said slot and intersecting the axis of said socket to form the other contact element.

3. An attachment plug including a body member having an axially arranged socket extending inwardly from one end thereof and having a radially disposed intersecting slot extending through saidunember so as to form apair of diametrically opposed openings in the periphery of said member to permit the insertion of a clip into said socket through either of said 0 enings, a contact point mounted on the ot er end of said member, a spring clip seated in said socket and connected to said contact point to form one of the contact elements, and a resilient tongue extending transversely into said slot to form the other contact element.

4. An attachment plu including a body member having an axia 1y arranged socket extending inwardly from. one end thereof and havin a. radially disposed intersecting slot exten ing through said member so as to form a pair of diametrically opposed openings in the periphery of said member, a contact point mounted on the other end of said member, a U-shaped spring clip seated in said socket and connectedto said contact point to form one of the contact elements, said clip and the walls of said slot coacting to secure said clip a ainst turning, each of said diametncal y opposed openings being of suificient size to perfilit the insertion of said clip into said socket durin the assembl of said bod member and c ip, and a radially dispose resilient tongue extending transversely into said slot and intersecting the axis of said socket to form the other contact element.

5. An attachment'plu including a body member having an axia y arranged socket extending inwardly from one end thereof, a contact point mounted on the other end of said member, a spring clip seated in said throu 7 1o tact e ement, e inner end of said tongue socket and connected 0 contaet point to form oneof the contaetelements, a metal? 'lic ferrule mounted on the periphery of said recess formed a jacent the outer .end ofsaid openin a resilient tongue extending said 0 ning'to form the other conend ing seated in said recess, and a rigid conductorseated in said recess and secured to said tongue, said conductor having a part protruding beyond said body member into contact with said ferrule.

' JAMES P. T. DONAHUE.

Signed at Chicago this 13 day of April, 

